Brattleboro, Vt. — The Harris Hill Ski Jump committee, which manages the annual Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition in Brattleboro, was awarded Jumping/Nordic Combined Club of the Year at the 2013 U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA) Congress. The annual USSA Congress awards not only clubs but coaches, athletes and resorts who display exemplary service to the sports of skiing and snowboarding.
Peter Graves, former Putney resident, Harris Hill committee member and snowsports announcer, and currently Communications Director for USA Ski Jumping, accepted the award on behalf of the organization at the Congress which was held in Park City, Utah in late May.
According to the awards dedication, “The Club has an unparalleled dedication to promoting the sport of ski jumping with their annual Harris Hill Ski Jumping Tournament, held in Brattleboro, Vt., every February for nearly 100 years. For the last two seasons the Club has undertaken the greater responsibility of hosting prestigious FIS Cups in ski jumping, allowing the U.S. Ski Team to jump in front of American fans while earning FIS points.”
“We are delighted to be recognized by the USSA as the top ski jumping club in the U.S.,” said Betsy Farley, Harris Hill Ski Jump Co-Chair. “The Harris Hill committee, volunteers, sponsors and fans are all responsible for the success of our event. Our sense of community paired with an international venue keeps athletes coming back year after year.”
The Harris Hill Ski Jumping Competition is a celebrated Brattleboro tradition that dates back to 1922. Harris Hill was the vision of Fred Harris of Brattleboro who founded the Brattleboro Outing Club and the Dartmouth Outing Club. Only an occasional snow drought, World War II and a three-year hiatus to re-build the jump (2006 – 2008) have interrupted the annual tradition.
Today, Harris Hill Ski Jump is the only 90 meter ski jump in New England and the newest Olympic size 90 meter jump in the country. It has been designed to International Ski Federation (FIS) specifications. The event is run entirely by a volunteer Organizing Committee and supported by hundreds of community volunteers on the two days of the event. Sponsorship and donations make the event possible. Harris Hill Ski Jump is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
The 2014 Harris Hill Ski Jumping competition is scheduled for February 15 & 16. Learn more about Harris Hill Ski Jump online at www.HarrisHillSkiJump.com.
-30-
Media Contact:
Melissa Gullotti, mgullotti@gmail.com, 802-236-9349
